When we first met Austin, he was diligently writing letters to his three younger siblings, while he was in Pittsburgh receiving inpatient treatment at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. Though we certainly didn’t want to interrupt his creative process, he and his mom, Marie, invited us into his room to chat. Within the first few minutes of our conversation, we learned that Austin is an avid reader, to say the least! He loves all sorts of books, especially biographies and other types of non-fiction. Austin and his mom absolutely adore reading and discussing together and Austin is planning on opening a bookstore when he grows up. It’s the perfect occupation for a guy who can always be found with his nose in a book.

That's when we introduced Austin to his new friend Lesley. Lesley is the owner of the East End Book Exchange, a bookstore in Bloomfield, just a few blocks from Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. Prior to meeting Austin, Lesley sent him a note and a copy of one of her favorite books, The Pearl, by John Steinbeck. Austin and his mom were about halfway through The Pearl at the time of their get together, so the three of them had tons to talk about, in addition to getting to know one another. Austin asked Lesley lots of questions about her store and how she got started. She was happy to share her experiences with him.